NAIRN SOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS Transport Issues: the capacity of the local road network

An analysis by Nairn West Community Council on behalf of the three Nairn Town CCs (Nairn River, Nairn Suburban, and Nairn West)

January 2014

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1. Introduction: the wider context – trunk road, railway and bypass

1.1. As a map of Nairn shows, the shape and growth of the town have been determined not only by the coastal location and the river and its crossing-points, but by the two main transport axes, both running east to west: the A96 trunk road, and the Inverness-Aberdeen railway. 1.2. The A96 1.2.1.The trunk road runs through the centre of town, its route defined largely by the bridge across the river at Bridgemill. Realignments in the 1960s resulted in the A96 being rerouted down King Street, with the High Street and Leopold Street being made oneway, thus taking trunk-road through-traffic away from the main shopping street. 1.2.2. Steady growth in A96 traffic has resulted in increased congestion, greater difficulty for pedestrians and cyclists etc, and ad hoc attempts to manage the flow by measures such as additional traffic lights. For many decades there have been pressures, and plans, for a Bypass around the south of Nairn to remove through-traffic (as in other towns on the A96 such as Forres, Fochabers, Huntly and Inverurie). 1.3. The railway 1.3.1.The railway has been a more serious constraint on urban growth. Almost all development and expansion of the town over the last two centuries has been north of the rail line. 1.3.2.The rail line has been a barrier to southward expansion. This is because there are very few rail-crossing points. In effect there are only three within the town: B9090 Cawdor Road, Mill Road, and the A939 Grantown Road at the eastern edge of town. The Mossside Road/Broadley Road level crossing south of Tradespark is no longer in operation. 1.3.3.The town has thus grown east-west. Beyond the town centre, riverside and the Victorian “West End”, the post-war expansion of both public housing and commercial housebuilding has been westwards at Achareidh, Cranloch and Tradespark, and eastwards at Lochloy. The only substantial expansion south of the rail line has been at Queenspark (opposite the hospital), which is largely Council-built housing accessed via the Cawdor Road underpass; and Boathpark alongside the A939 Grantown Road. 1.3.4. The only other recent developments in the Nairn South area have been the creation of a dedicated “retirement village” enclave at Firhall and a group of some 6 private houses at Rhuallan.

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1.3.5. Key Point (railway barrier): The railway is a serious obstacle to integrated urban development and southward expansion of the town. Adequate options for crossing it are essential. As late as 2000, the Nairn Local Plan still did not envisage any significant development south of the rail line. It identified only some scope for reconfiguration of the council depot/football ground area south of the station, and provided for expansion of the industrial operations of Gordon’s sawmill. 1.4. The Bypass 1.4.1.Long-running discussion about the delivery of an A96 bypass around Nairn was given momentum in 2004-6 by discussion of the “A96 Corridor Development Framework” (A96CDF), a non-statutory set of proposals which foresaw substantial development in the area between Inverness and Nairn with associated improvements in the infrastructure. 1.4.2.It was in the context of discussions arranged by consultants (Halcrow and others) between landowners, developers and the local HC planning authority about the A96CDF that the idea of zoning Nairn South for development emerged. The A96CDF was not subject to normal planning consultation. It was however adopted as Supplementary Guidance in 2007 and subsequently “rolled into” the draft Highlandwide Development Plan in 2011-12. 1.4.3.Key Point (lack of consultation). Because the A96CDF (and thus the proposed allocation of Nairn South for development) was not subject to the normal and full local-planning consultation process, the local community did not have the usual formal opportunity to comment on or object to the proposals in it – including the various factors that might affect the feasibility of developing the Nairn South site. Unsurprising, therefore, that these factors have now been cited in the local response to the planning application for the site. 1.4.4. Key Point (criticality of bypass). The A96CDF however stated unequivocally (in Section 4) that “...... the bypass travelling from the west at Drumdivan is critical... to provide the opportunity to link new growth areas and Nairn town centre to bring an integrated movement solution for the town as a whole” . This linkage between the delivery of the Bypass and the enhancement of transport infrastructure improvement to enable development at Nairn South was then echoed in the HwLDP paras 14.2 and 14.3. It remains fundamental to planning for sites south of Nairn.

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Cawdor Road – looking at Balblair Road (on left) and railway underpass from the south

Cawdor Road – approaching the railway bridge underpass

Cawdor Road – tight turn into Balblair Road from the north (town) side bs/nwcc/06jan14

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2. Access routes northwards (into town) from the Nairn South site 2.1. Nairn South has only one direct route to and from Nairn town: Cawdor Road (B9090), which is joined by Balblair Road at the railway-bridge underpass. 2.2. It is also relevant that there are currently no pedestrian or cycle links north-south across the railway anywhere in the town (except for the overhead bridge for passengers within the station itself). All other pedestrians, all schoolchildren, and all cyclists, buggy users etc are obliged to use – and share – the same few roadway crossings under the rail line which vehicles use. All schools (primary and secondary) are north of the railway line. 2.3. The capacity of the route into town from Nairn South is seriously constrained in the following ways. 2.4. Cawdor road (northwards from site). The road is a minor rural road linking Nairn to Cawdor. • Between Nairn South and the town, it does not meet current standards as specified in the national ‘Manual for Streets’ for serving 50 or more houses. It is too narrow, and has a pavement only on the E side (where it exists at all) rather than on both. • The physical surroundings render road-widening, or the provision of more pedestrian or cycle space, almost impossible. • The road serves the local hospital, which has recently been redeveloped and expanded and now houses also the local General Practice clinics. This alone has substantially increased the flow of vehicular traffic on this section of the road. • It also serves the local football ground (Nairn County) and so is subject to extraordinarily high levels of pedestrian and vehicle traffic as specific times. • There is no scheduled bus service to the hospital or to any destination along the Cawdor Road. 2.5. Cawdor Rd/Balblair Rd junction. The roads meet immediately adjacent to the underpass. For the constraints on Balblair Road as a route into the town centre, see also para 3.5 below. • • • •

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Visibility from each road to the other is extremely limited because of the high banks and stone walls. There is minimal scope to widen either road or to increase splay. The junction is un-usable by large vehicles and HGVs because of the tight turning radius. The installation of traffic islands to force vehicles to give way and use the underpass alternately and in single file has added to the complexity of the intersection and generates queues at busy times.

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•

• •

Despite the pedestrian stairway access off Balblair Road to the station, the road has no pavements, and is so narrow that creation of pavements would encroach on roadspace so far as to make turning problematic. Any increase in traffic along Balblair Road would increase the risk to pedestrians and add to congestion and risk at the junction. Traffic-lights will not resolve either of these issues, nor increase the ‘flow-capacity’ of the underpass which would have to remain single-file.

2.6. The Railway Bridge underpass. This is the major choke-point for all traffic seeking to access Nairn from the south. The single-arch structure is extremely narrow, and modification or widening would be technically challenging and prohibitively costly. • It is incapable of permitting two-way traffic, because of the limited road width and the height restriction which obliges high vehicles to occupy the centre of the road. • The capacity is further constrained by the existing – albeit narrow – pavement, and the creation of a separating island on one side as an ad-hoc cycleway. • The underpass is subject to serious flooding after heavy rainfall at any season of the year to the extent that water-depth makes it impassable. • Short of complete rebuilding of the bridge, no modifications can overcome the fundamental capacity-limit dictated by the dimensions of the arch.

Cawdor Rd underpass

underpass flood

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2.7. Station Road and the Westbury Rd/Millbank Cr intersection. This is a complex and hazardous intersection. • Station Road joins Cawdor Road at a very acute angle which limits visibility. • At the same location there is a “lollipop” children’s crossing serving the primary school at Millbank to the E. • The junction is heavily used by schoolrun traffic to Millbank Primary School. • Westbury and Waverley Road is the designated link between the A96 trunk road and Cawdor Road B9090, and the signed A&E route for ambulances to the hospital.

Station Rd angle

Cawdor/Westbury Road intersection

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2.8. Waverley Road, Lodgehill St and the A96. Waverley Road is a residential street which however is increasingly being used as a “short-cut” and is signed as such. • The Westbury Road section has no pavement on the N side and high walls limit visibility at the junction; • The route is a link road and used by buses. Parking (on both sides) effectively reduces flow to single-way; • The Waverley/Lodgehill Junction is heavily used by schoolchildren from Nairn Academy at lunchtimes and start and end of school hours.

Westbury and Waverley Roads – looking west towards A96

Waverley/Westbury Road – the Lodgehill Road crossing, looking east bs/nwcc/06jan14

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2.9. Cawdor Road, Leopold St and town access. High St and Leopold St are one-way westwards. There is no direct vehicular access to the High Street from the south. • All northbound traffic on Cawdor Rd is obliged to turn left into Leopold Street and join the A96 – even if their destination is the High Street and town centre. 2.10. Leopold St and the A96 junction. Leopold St, notionally two-lanes, narrows to a single lane (with on-street parking alongside) on the approach to the A96 intersection. • This restricts the formation of parallel queues to take the L and R exits on to the A96; • Hence it creates a “bottleneck”, even on a one-way street, which limits capacity, slows the flow, and creates tailbacks to the High Street; • The lack of synchronisation between the Leopold St lights and the pedestriancontrolled crossing lights on the A96 further exacerbates the congestion at peak times – even with existing levels of traffic.

Leopold Street

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2.11. Mill Road and Church Street. This is not an obvious route to serve Nairn South. It runs parallel to the river, serving the limited number of residential houses in that area. It does however pass under the railway bridge and – becoming Church Street – leads to and from the High Street. Thus... • Because it offers an alternative way of getting across (under) the rail line, it becomes a “rat-run” for northbound traffic from Cawdor Road (and so Nairn South) seeking to get to the town centre while avoiding the Cawdor Road railway underpass (para 2.4 above); • Mill Road passes under a low, narrow railway bridge (which continues to take the railway across the river) and offers again, only an alternating single-way option for vehicles, with a traffic-island and demarcated cyclepath and a barrier-protected pavement; • The road runs alongside the riverside leisure park and allotments – so significant numbers of pedestrians and children use, and cross the road. • At the town-centre end, Church Street is a narrow “lane” street leading on to the High Street, again rendered single-lane by parked vehicles. • Entry and exit at the High St junction are difficult, and all vehicles from Mill Road are obliged by the one-way system to turn left and onward to rejoin the traffic along Leopold St (see para 2.8 above) .

Mill Road – railway bridge

Church St – view to High St

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2.12. Conclusion #1. The existing roads linking the Nairn South site to Nairn town and thereafter on to the A96 are not adequate to handle the likely volumes of additional traffic generated by a large- scale development. Provision for pedestrians, cyclists and other such users is inadequate and almost negligible. Mitigation will have a minor effect, since some constraints (notably the choke-point of the rail underpass) are near-insoluble; and to proceed with development in the absence of substantial prior transport infrastructure upgrading will exacerbate the already emerging problems of congestion and “rat-running” into and within the town.

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3. Access routes south of the Nairn South site

3.1. There are two access/exit routes on the southern and eastern side of the Nairn South site. One is Balblair Road, a minor rural road which eventually connects via Kildrummie to Delnies and thence with the A96 trunk road to/from Inverness. The main and marginally more attractive one is via the Cawdor Road, to join the B9090 Auldearn-Cawdor road. 3.2. Balblair Road (B9091). This is in theory an optional route both northward into town and southward via rural roads eventually towards the A96. It is however a very narrow – sometimes – single-track road where passing is difficult. In both directions, activity related to Gordons’ Sawmill is a serious constraint. • as a way into town, the three limitations are the narrowness of the road itself, the fact that it transits the sawmill site so has both HGV and forklifts traversing the road, and at the northern end has restrictions at the junction with Cawdor Road; • it is heavily used by articulated HGV timber trucks (some 100 vehicles per day?) travelling to and from the sawmill. The trucks have no other options for access given the impossibility of transiting Nairn or entering Balblair Road from the north; •

Balblair Road (northern – town – end beyond sawmill)

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3.3. The B9091 leads SW towards Kildrummie as a narrow rural road which eventually crosses the railway via a humpback bridge to connect at Delnies with the A96. Already used by the timber lorries, the road and bridge do not have the capacity to handle substantially larger numbers of vehicles safely without significant modification. 3.4. Cawdor Road (southwards from site). Assuming a principal entrance/exit to the site is somewhere roughly opposite the Firhall retirement village, the B9090 goes south to cross the river at the Howford Bridge. • Cawdor Road itself is a rural road with no pavements on either side. It is however not subject to any speed limit (ie 60mph is legal). • There is a very narrow road, Broadley Farm Road, linking the Cawdor Road to Balblair Road at the southern perimeter of the Nairn South site. This is already being used as a cross-country “rat-run” to gain eventual access to and from the A96; • Similarly the farm-access road beside Howford farm is becoming another “backroad” for commuters and would undoubtedly become another route-option for traffic to and from any development at Nairn South. 3.5. The Howford Bridge. This is the only road-crossing of the river Nairn (other than the A96) in the vicinity of the town; • The bridge has no pavement or cycleway; • On the E side of the bridge is a poor-visibility rural road junction; • the road between the bridge and the B9090 is narrow with blind corners (but is nevertheless heavily used by articulated HGV timber trucks bound for Gordons’ sawmill.

Howford Bridge and Cawdor Road (B9090) from the west

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3.6. The B9101/B9090 junction. This is a limited visibility T-junction which has been the scene of accidents, mainly because.... • The B9090 is the signed “tourist route” between Inverness, Cawdor and Strathspey, so carries significant numbers of tourist vehicles unfamiliar with the road; • It is also used by timber trucks and much agricultural traffic including heavy machinery; • And (thanks to satnav) it has become a favoured “back-road” between Auldearn and Cawdor/Croy as an unofficial Nairn bypass for local commuters and others to avoid Nairn’s A96 traffic lights and congestion; • Increased traffic from Nairn South seeking to use this backroad as an eventual alternative route on to the A96 eastwards or westwards will lead to increased hazard at this junction.

3.7. Conclusion #2. The various routes south of the Nairn South site have particular characteristics and usage which limit their capacity safely and effectively to carry the volumes of traffic which would realistically be generated by a large-scale residential development on the Nairn South site. The greater the difficulties or delays in travelling northwards to and through Nairn town, the greater the likelihood of increased “back-road traffic” by vehicles seeking ways to avoid choke points and congestion within Nairn through use of minor rural roads.

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4. The proposed A96 Nairn bypass 4.1. The possible route of an A96 trunk road bypass around Nairn is currently the subject of separate public debate and consultation. Ministers have decided to subsume the Nairn bypass proposal within a wider scheme to dual the whole of the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen by 2030. This means that the previous work, consultation and consensus on possible and preferred alignments for the Nairn bypass and any junctions into the town, has been put on hold if not shelved. A total of nine (new) options for bypass alignment around Nairn and Auldearn have been tabled for discussion. The question of junctions into Nairn has not yet been addressed. 4.2. None of which invalidates the central principle set out in the A96CDF and reiterated in the HwLDP (see para 1.4.4 above) that a bypass – with appropriate and agreed connections into Nairn – is a fundamental and critical pre-requisite for effective and integrated access to the potential development zones of Nairn South. 4.3. The decision on the bypass route and junction will move the goalposts. The eventual trunk road bypass may – or may NOT – offer linkages into Nairn South. But whether there are junctions or not, development of Nairn South is going to require much more radical redesign and upgrading of the transport infrastructure than the present minor modifications envisaged in the discussion of the current application(s).

4.4. Conclusion #3. It is demonstrably the case that the existing network of roads in and around Nairn South, and into and through the town, are scarcely adequate for current requirements. This is one compelling reason why the need for a bypass is undisputed and enshrined in local plans. Without ensuring adequate infrastructure capacity, it is inappropriate to permit development and construction to proceed. The roads that might serve Nairn South have specific management and capacity constraints, which this paper has described. Few if any of these difficulties can be adequately addressed by ad hoc or short-term mitigation measures. Moreover it makes no sense, and would be inconsistent with the approach in the A96CDF and the HwLDP, to try to do so in the absence of a clear and agreed decision on both the bypass route alignment and any junction-availability and linkages it may offer.

4.5. Conclusion #4. To attempt to proceed with development at Nairn South ahead of a decision on the bypass route is short-sighted and imprudent. The minor modifications and mitigation proposed will not cope with a realistic projection of volume and demand. Moreover to reconfigure the existing transport infrastructure solely in response to currently-proposed housing development and without regard to the integration of this infrastructure with the proposed bypass would be ill-judged and poor planning.

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